"The Mona"

"The Mona" is the passage from Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, and it's the most dreaded of all the passages south. Why? It can offer up big seas, strong trade winds, squalls, ocean swells and currents...

The Puerto Rican trench is amongst the deepest spots on this globe, and when all of that water gets pushed onto the more shoal areas (ie. the hourglass shoal off the northeast of the Dominican), it creates big seas. Add in the effects of the currents, and these seas can be confused. Squalls are spawned by the heat rising up and off the mountainous coast of Puerto Rico, and the prevailing trade winds blow them across "the Mona."  There's nothing to stop the ocean swells or wind blown chop, as "the Mona" is open to the Atlantic from the African coast.

I can say this now to our family and friends, as we have made it across ;). Here's our story....

Oh but before I get to the Mona crossing story, I must report our result in the second regatta. I think there were 13 boats at the start line. We were defending our third place finish from the regatta the weekend prior. Well we just missed the podium; coming in fourth. A respectable finish for the baby boat in the race ;)   On to "the Mona" story....

A good weather window was forecast for Sunday March 23rd & Monday March 24th. Sunday's winds were diminishing from 10-12 knots in the morning to under 5 knots in the late afternoon; and Monday's winds were to be light and variable all day. Sea state would settle with the settling weather. A perfect opportunity to get across "the Mona."

There were a total of  7 boats waiting in Samana to cross, and the captains all conferred with each
other. Though there were differences in thinking as to the best time to depart (morning vs. afternoon vs. evening), in the end we all left together at 7am Sunday. The field of boats soon spread out, as those with the mightier engines made better headway. We were all motor-sailing, as both wind and waves were on the nose. Conditions were stronger than forecast (seems to be a recurring theme). Though we don't have instruments on board to tell us what the wind speed and direction are; several of the other boats did and were reporting 20+ knots. That's too much for our Serenada with her 20HP engine. Gil & I chose to modify our passage plan, and seek shelter at Punta Macao, an anchorage on the north shore of the DR, until conditions settled more; after which we'd resume our passage of "the Mona." The other boats, all bigger than us, pushed on.

Punta Macao was 7mi. away, and it was while we were on our way there, that we looked back and
saw a sight. One of our davits (the system that holds up our dinghy) was hanging low, and the dinghy
was dragging in the water! The starboard side davit had broken, and there was risk of further damage to the remaining davit system and the dinghy, with all the pounding they were taking from the seas. OMG. "Trouble" has to be Serenada's nickname, though we love her still.

Once again, Captain Gil sprang into action. He's amazing when faced with adversity... 'just gets right to it... 'knows what to do.... 'stays calm and focused.... I love him :-)    Dealing with it started with "Di, get my harness!" Gil tethered himself to the boat, and methodically roped the broken davit to the boat (so we couldn't lose it), untied or cut the lines holding the dinghy in place, and finally he had to climb into the dinghy to unclasp it from the davit's lines, and then clamber back up into the boat .... all this in too big seas. I did not enjoy watching all this. I still tear up 'reliving' it, as it's OK to lose the davits and the dinghy, but it's not OK to lose Gil.

We towed the dinghy behind us to Punta Macao. At anchor, with the sea calm, we deflated the dinghy
and lifted it up onto Serenada's deck and strapped it down. We did not even consider towing the dinghy across the Mona, as we'd likely have lost her to the sea. We had another job to do while at Punta

Enjoying the wait for weather in Samana, DR

El Limon waterfalls

While we wait for the right weather window to open up, we are enjoying our stay at Puerto Bahia, Samana in the good company of several other cruising boats: Slow Waltz, White Gold, Simplicity, Serenade, LeeLou, & Nightwatch .... a terrific group of people.

Together, we rented a couple of vans and ventured out to the falls at El Limon. A good hike up, but we were rewarded with a cooling dip in the pool beneath the falls. The local boys are like monkeys... scaling the moss lined rocks (practically a cliff side) only to throw themselves off into the pool. A crazy fun place.

 local boys having crazy fun

trail improvements

.…on the trail….

We also toured around Las Terranes' beaches on the north shore of the DR, stopping at a beachside restaurant for pizzas.

….it seems all the world's problems don't matter anymore...

fisherman's boats on the beach

I love palm trees 

There is another regatta here next weekend, and participation is rewarded with 3 free nights stay and some food and drinks thrown in also - so we're in! We love this place.

Short blog .... gtg .... my tummy is telling me it's time to cook :)

Eat your heart out, Colin :)

Colin, this one's for you....

For those who don't know Colin, he's our home club's most avid racer.

Serenada off to a good start

"Catch me if you can!"

(that's our little Serenada ahead!)

You're not going to believe this one. Gil & I can't believe it. We placed in the regatta!! It was the VI Caribbean International Abordo Regatta. We entered to get in on the free 4 night stay at the Puerto Bahia Marina. The award ceremonies were held tonight, and we placed?! We received a trophy (a copper sailboat) and a prize (a lazimar choker) for 3rd place. Who would have thought that mom & pop on a 32 footer could place?! We toasted handicaps ;) .... every boat is given a rating or handicap to try and level out the field, so it worked in our favour.

I was chatting with Hazel, another cruiser who was here when we arrived. When I asked her when did she arrive here, she replied May! Figuring she'd know where to get the best fresh produce, I asked about that too. She graciously gave me a lift (she owns a vehicle here) into town, to the local market.

Hazel in Samana's market

A Piece of Heaven

full moon over Puerto Bahia marina in Samana

Wow. I wish everyone could see this place - Puerto Bahia Marina & Resort, in Samana, Dominican Republic. Google it. It's stunning.

Last Thursday, our parts package finally arrived at Ocean World at 2pm. It got from Virgil, Ontario to Santiago, Domincan Republic in less than 24hr. .... and from Santiago to Ocean World (a 1 1/2 hr. drive) in another 24hr. (that's "island time" for you). It was good enough to catch the weather window      to get to Samana.

 I'm starting to think we have a little jinx on board. We had cast off all but the last line. As Gil was backing the boat out of our slip, and I was ready to take in that last line, the engine sputtered and quit! Honestly?! Fortunately, Gil knew instantly what our issue was. He had changed the oil and replaced all filters the day before. After doing so, he restarted the engine and it ran fine, so he figured he didn't need to bleed the air out. Wrong. We had to retie our lines, and finish yesterday's boat job before we could go.

We've been very fortunate (to date) with all of our passages, and this one to Samana was no exception. The first few hours were the most frustrating, as both the winds and waves were on our nose. Motoring into them was slow and bumpy. Tacking was less uncomfortable, but it effectively doubles the distance. Fortunately, the winds and waves settled after the sun went down, and the going was much improved. The moon was full :)  We left Ocean World about 3:00pm Thursday, and arrived in Samana at 2:00pm Friday. The scenery is spectacular on the coastline of the DR .... cliff sides, capes, caves, mountains ... lush with palms.

see the arch in the rock?

We chose to come into a marina again. Fellow cruisers advised us against anchoring in the DR. At each stop it is required to 'clear in' and 'clear out,' and this process is much smoother at marinas. At anchor, the officials who board the boats, generally expect 'gifts' or 'donations' .... this isn't the case at marinas. Less intimidating.

Puerto Bahia marina & resort in Samana

Puerto Bahia Marina in Samana is stunning. OMG I've died and gone to heaven. It's nestled against the slope of the land, and built on levels. There are pools here, whose edge rises above the ocean. It feels like you could swim off the face of the earth; but who would want to with the view of those mountains across the bay (from inside the pool).

1 of 2 infinity pools

We have found a little piece of heaven on earth here. As luck would have it, the marina is hosting a regatta, and if you choose to participate in the regatta, you stay free for 4 nights AND get a bunch of other perks .... each person (not each boat) was given a duffle bag full of goodies (t-shirt, hat, towel, sunscreen, aloe, snacks, drinks); free reception; free dinner; and there's music and dancing tonight.
A total no brainer. I think every boat that's here is participating in the regatta.

More tomorrow .... gtg.

Keeping good company @ Ocean World, DR

The 62 meter (210') super yacht Sealyon arrived here today. I had to google it. $350,000 per week to charter and can accommodate up to 12 guests in 6 staterooms. I wonder if they'll show up to Happy Hour and/or invite us aboard?

We are hoping to leave here today, but must wait for the FedEx delivery of our part first. It left Santiago before 8:00am this morning, and it's now 11:30am .... Santiago is only 1 1/2 hr. from here, so we are hoping it gets here anytime now. There is a good weather window to get to Samana and we hope we can get in on it. It'll be a 24+ hr. trip... another overnighter.

I ran into Vitalli, the crazy 31yr. Russian on Relentless, the 22' retractable keel sailboat with the 10HP outboard. He left South Side Marina in Provo the same day as us, and we hadn't seen him since, so I felt some concern for him. It was good to see that he made it to the Dominican. He just went to Luperon (an anchorage) a little west of here. He got here by motorbike.


Beach sand sculpture

Hoping to upload some photos?!

Can you find the baby mast? It's to the left of center and against the huge break wall. That's our baby boat ;-)




Happy Hour dockside .... so relaxed.




Ocean World's facade ... Beautiful mosaic



We have this pool to ourselves!! Complete with chez lounges and a spectacular view .... Loving it.

Officially in the Carribbean!

Dominican flag with HYC's burgee

Woo hoo! We actually made it to the Carribbean! I think a small part of me wondered if we'd ever really get this far; but we're here in the Dominican Republic, at a place called Ocean World, just outside Puerto Plata. Richard Branson's luxury catamaran, Necker Belle, was sitting here. We're keeping good company.

We took advantage of a good weather window... always critical for making safe passages. We left South Side Marina at high tide on Friday afternoon, to keep some water between us and the coral heads. We were going to anchor at Sapodilla Bay again, but changed our minds .... there was a light south wind blowing, and Sapodilla Bay is open to the southerlies.... it offers no more protection than anchoring out on the Caicos Banks would. So, we decided to do just that - anchor out on the banks overnight. We put in a few hours of sailing, until just before sunset; then dropped our hook. We were out of sight of land. So cool!  It reminded me of the movie Waterworld.

Saturday morning, we departed this anchorage at daybreak, and sailed all day and all night, arriving at Ocean World in the Dominican Republic at first light on Sunday morning. We had a great passage, sailing most of it. We did run into some squalls, but could see them coming, so reduced sail and put up the cockpit enclosure before they were upon us .... stayed dry :). There was an upside to these squalls - believe it or not. The sky was quite dark on our starboard side, so against this backdrop, we could easily see 'spouts.' Whale spouts! Though we saw several spouts, we weren't able to catch sight of the whales themselves. Humpbacks frequent these waters, and they can be very active creatures ... capable of a full breach. Perhaps it was best they didn't get too close.


We may be here for a while. We have decided to replace a sheave/pulley in our steering system, if we can. With the help of Ron Marsh, our neighbour at Hawkestone Yacht Club, who was able to source a part for us.... we're hoping to have it shipped here ... and are waiting confirmation of that. Hopefully, we'll get the part; it'll be the right part; and Gil can manage it's replacement. We'll keep you posted.

the terrain of the DR - mountains :-)

 caves in the cliff side

lush with palms

The lush and mountainous terrain here is beautiful, after the arid and low lying Bahamas and Turks & Caicos. We went into the city of Puerto Plata today. Busy, colorful place with many small retail outlets and crazy drivers - lots of motor bikes. We need to pick up some Spanish .... should have
taken Jorge up on some lessons!

Our MacBook laptop has bitten the dust. The hard drive just quit :(  I'm posting this blog from the iPad .... I shall hope to get photo(s) uploaded. I'll want to replace the computer, but haven't started on that yet .... the sheave/pulley for the steering system took precedence.

Still in the Turks and Caicos

Well, we never did leave; we’re still here!  On the day we were going to depart, we checked the weather forecast one last time, at 5:30am, and the winds had strengthened to over 15 knots; right on the threshold of ‘do we go?’ or ‘do we stay?’  We elected to stay put and wait, because “when in doubt, don’t go out.”

We also chose to stay at South Side Marina, a splurge for us.  WiFi, real showers, and a bed that doesn’t move with the ocean swells – heaven.  It’s been restful.

We’ve skyped with the kids and my sibs – so great to ‘see’ everyone and catch up. 

South Side Marina hosts a Wednesday BBQ & pot-luck which is open to everyone – cruisers, visitors & locals. Great food and great fun.  ‘Played bochi ball for the first time.

Wednesday's BBQ & potluck was held at Bob's Bar

(he also owns the marina)

those are hotels in the distance

we're hiding in the shade

We’ve done a little sightseeing. The ocean side of this island is lined with resort hotels and condominiums, and their beach umbrellas. There is a ‘snorkel trail’ in Grace Bay, that is accessible from the beach. There are underwater sign posts to identify corals. Neat.

 sign for Snorkel Trail on Bight Reef, right off the beach

....leave only bubbles and footprints....

 cotton grows wild here

 blue cheeked ducks

 I counted 17 kids in the back of this truck -

all going to play soccer!

A weather window for moving eastward appears to  have opened for Saturday-Sunday-Monday. Our revised plan is to take advantage of it to travel to Ocean World in the Dominican Republic. Vitali, captain of Relentless, the 22’ retractable keel sailboat with a 10HP outboard;  our neighbor in the marina, has the same plan. It’s not often that we travel in the company of smaller boats.

Turks and Caicos update

March 3rd

We had made plans to leave Sapodilla Bay with 4 other boats (Slow Waltz, Nightwatch, Simplicity II, and Lea Lou)  this morning, and head to South Caicos, across the Caicos banks.

Unfortunately, Gil & I aborted shortly after starting out. The winds were again stronger than forecast, and too much on the nose. We wouldn't be able to sail the bulk of the 45nm of this leg. We would need to motor-sail and/or motor. Our fuel reserves were not at a comfortable level for this. Though we have 3/4 of a tank - enough for at least 15hr - we've learned the hard way that motoring in choppy water with low fuel levels is asking for trouble.... any sludge built up in the bottom of the tank gets churned up and ends up clogging your filters and sputtering out the engine. We've done that once.

So, we watched everyone else go on ahead :-(  and we chose instead to go to South Side Marina, only 5nm east. We made the right decision for ourselves and our boat though. We filled up our fuel tank and all three jerry cans; as well as our water tanks; and did laundry; accepted the free ride out to the IGA grocery store; and had real showers! Oh, and took advantage of the WiFi too.

South Side Marina's antenna - a giant crow's nest - love it!

We hope to sail across the Caicos banks tomorrow. That will ultimately depend on the weather again. We hope to go to Big Ambergris Cay. From there, we'll cross the Turks Passage to Big Sand Cay; and from there to Ocean World in the Dominican Republic. Each leg needs the right weather window; but hopefully we'll be in the DR in a week's time; and get in some snorkelling while we "wait for weather."

It's been a long time since I've posted a blooper....

upside down?!

It may be a week or more before I post a blog again.... the stops between here and the Dominican are all remote little islands. 

Reached Turks & Caicos, but not without incident

Mayaguana Island to Turks & Caicos (February 28th & March 1st)

Turks & Caicos flag and Hawkestone's burgie

At Mayaguana Island, we anchored just inside the reef at Abraham’s Bay. Here, it’s best to enter or exit in good light, so as to avoid hitting any coral heads. The same held true for our destination – Sapadillo Bay  on Providenciales Island in the Turks & Caicos. There are numerous coral heads there also. Abrahams Bay in Mayaguana Island to  Sapadillo Bay in the Turks and Caicos is a long passage – about 60nm. If you do the math… average speed of 5 knots/hr. over 60nm = 12hr. passage, and that presumes a straight run (ie. no tacking). The sun rises about 6:30am and sets about 6:00pm, which does not give you 12hr. of ”good light” with which to avoid the coral heads at each end. We had to choose which anchorage was going to have the “good light.” There were 4 boats anchored at Abraham’s Bay, and all of us were going to Sapadillo Bay. Collectively, we agreed to leave Abraham’s Bay at 5am (in the dark), and retrace our chartplotter paths out; so we’d have light entering at Sapadillo Bay.

The howling wind woke us before the 4:30am alarm! Not a good sign. Not for the first time, the forecast wasn’t going to hold true. The winds were not only stronger than predicted, but also more ‘on the nose.’  Gil & I had this lesson only a couple of days earlier. We weren’t going anywhere. We radioed Slow Waltz, and they were of the same mind. We also radioed Nightwatch, but Ralph was going anyway. The 4^th boat had already weighed anchor and gone! 

We radioed Nightwatch again, after he’d gotten underway, and he was motoring straight into the wind and waves, making 4-5 knots against a 15+knot wind. We were glad we decided to abort. His boat’s a lot bigger (he has a regular stand up frig in his galley!), so he can better handle the more challenging conditions.

With Slow Waltz, we still chose to travel on Friday, but we went from Abraham’s Bay to the Southeast Point of Mayaguana Island – about 15+ nm closer to Sapadillo Bay. We stayed only for dinner and a nap. Our revised plan was now to leave at midnight and arrive in the Turks & Caicos with first light on Saturday.

We were rewarded with a beautiful night sail in phosphorescent seas! We did run into some squalls, but they only packed rain – no extra wind. This is what rain looks like at night….

surrounded by squalls (each ring is 1 nm)

At first light we reached the opening of Sandbore Channel (into the Caicos Bank), where we made a hard turn to port to steer for Sapodilla Bay, another 9nm away. That’s when we lost our steering!!  It just jammed! We’d just gotten out of the deep water and onto the shallower bank waters (where all the coral heads are). Great. We dropped anchor right then and there. Everything came out of the lazarettes – the boat proper looked like a storage locker. Gil went into the ‘basement’ to troubleshoot. Of course, the wind picked up about this time also, and the boat was hobby horsing on the short steep waves of the shallower bank waters. Not comfortable. Gil, however, was so focused on the task at hand. The steering cable had fallen out of its’ track and gotten jammed. One of the wheels that guide the cable had a worn edge. It was a difficult and tedious job in awful conditions. Gil had to disassemble and reassemble the port side of the steering mechanism to free the cable and return it to its track. Almost 3 hours later, we were operational again. Gil really came through. I’ve finally forgiven him for all the birthdays he’s missed ;-).

We arrived in Sapodilla Bay a little later than expected on Saturday, March 1^st. 

Slow Waltz & Serenada in Sapodilla Bay, Turks & Caicos